Hooked rug making device



April 20, 1937. K. S AY 21,77,719

HOOKED RUG MAKING DEVICE 2 fibeets-Sheet 1 Filed May 27, 1935 fi l ffz IAWome, g

April 20, 1937. F. K. SOLLIDAY HOOKED RUG MAKING DEVICE Filed May 27,1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l Hu- Jam -T T1 K. Somdw AWomegg Patented Apr. 20,1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 12 Claims.

This invention relates to a device or machine for making hooked rugs. Asconstructed and disclosed herein, the device is hand operated, isprovided with means for automatically feeding the 5 same so as touniformly space the loops made, is adapted to make use of diiferentsizes of needles for different grades and sizes of yarn or othermaterial fed through the needles, and has a number of adjustments foradjusting the feed, for

10 spacing the rows of loops at different desired distances from eachother and for adjusting and varying the distance that the loops areprojected through the piece of material.

My invention is directed to the production of 15 a device of thecharacter described, and consists in many novel constructions andarrangements of parts for effectively attaining the ends stated, as wellas many others not at this time enumerated, but which will appear as anunderstanding of the invention is had from the following descriptiontaken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which,

Fig. l is an elevation of the hooked rug making machine of my invention.

25 Fig. 2 is a side view thereof.

Fig. 3v is an elevation from the side opposite that shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a like elevation showing the parts in a different position.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the manner in which the loopsare spaced.

Fig. 6 is an elevation of an element of the structure which is turned tooperate the needle and the feeding dog mechanism.

Fig. 7 is a section on the plane of line 1-1 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary vertical section on the plane of line 8-8 ofFig. 1.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary perspective view of the 40 upper end of the bar,the lower end of which carries the feeding dog.

Fig. 10 is a transverse section on the plane of line Ill-I0 of Fig. 8.

Figs. 11 to 14, inclusive, are transverse sec- 5 tions on the planes oflines II-I I, I2 I2, I3-I3 and I4-I4, respectively, of Fig. 3.

Fig. 15 is a fragmentary vertical section on the plane of line I5I5 ofFig. 3.

Fig. 16 is a fragmentary rear elevation of a 50 needle of larger size,and

Fig. 17 is a transverse section through such needle, illustrating thetype of guide used with the larger sized needles.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in 55; the differentfigures of the drawings.

The construction.A fiat elongated bar I of metal has an offset portion 2near its upper end and carries a handle 3 at its upper end. A disc 4 ismounted on a shaft 5 which is rotatably mounted on the bar I at theoffset portion 2, the shaft being turned by a crank 6. The disc 4 isprovided with an outwardly projecting cam I at one side.

The needle 8 is pointed at one end and is concavo-convex in crosssection. Adjacent its pointed end the open side thereof is closed by aplate 8a permanently secured in place, the needle being open above andbelow such plate 8a. The upper end of the needle is formed into acylinder, interiorly threaded, through which a threaded rod 9 passes,having its upper end turned at right angles to provide a shank Ill andterminating in a head I066, made by cutting an angular groove around itnear the end of the shank, (see Fi 7) The disc 4 is formed with aplurality of holes II, disposed on a radius of the disc and spaced fromeach other, of a size such that the head Illa of the part I0 may passtherethrough. On the inner side of the disc 4, a thin sheet metal plateI2 is mounted to turn around the shaft 5 (Fig. '7) and havingdiametrically opposed finger engaging extensions I3. The sheet metalplate I2 is provided with a pluralityof key hole slots I4, and has adetent I5 pressed therefrom diametrically opposite the slots I4 whichreleasably enters counter surnk holes in the disc 4 (Fig. 7). By turningthe plate I 2, springing the same away from the disc 4, to release thedetent, the larger ends of the key hole slots I4 come into register withthe holes I l in the disc 4, and the head Illa on the shank I0 may bepassed through disc 4 and. plate I2. Then by turning the plate I2 backto. its original position the needle is releasably locked to the disc 4,the groove part of shank Ill being received in the narrower portions ofthe key hole slots I4. The openings II on disc 4 are diametricallyopposite the cam I thereon.

The needles extend alongside of the bar I and pass through suitableguides. .For the smaller needles the guides are of U-shape, having abase [6 with spaced apart arms I! which have openings to slidably passthe needle. For larger needles the closure of the open side at 8a ismuch shorter than for smaller needles and the guides used in such case(Fig. 1'?) are of concavo-convex form, as indicated at I8, havinginturned lips 19 which extend over the side edges of the larger needles8. All guides, whether of the form shown in Fig. 15 or Figs. 16 and 17,are provided with a cylindrical shank 2i) grooved a short distance fromits outer end at El to make a head similar to the head ma previouslydescribed. At what may be termed the rear side of the bar I and at thelower end portion a plate 22 is located and permanently secured as byspot welding. The plate 22 at its lower end portion is widened, as at23, and at the upper edges of the sides of the widened portion formedwith oppositely extending ears 24. The bar l and the plate 22 have aplurality of openings 25 therethrough vertically spaced through any oneof which the shank 2a of a needle guide may freely pass as shown in Fig.15.

A locking plate 25 of sheet metal is located at the rear side of theplate 22, its lower end being vertically slotted to provide spaced apartfingers 27. The locking plate 26 is slidably mounted upon the plate 22and held in place by ears 28 (Fig. 11). This locking plate is lifted andthe shank 29 of the guide for a needle inserted through a selectedopening 25. The looking plate is then moved so that the edges of thefingers 2'! are received in the groove 21 holding the needle guide inplace but permitting its rocking about the axis of the shaft 20.

The cars 24 previously described each carry a guide sleeve 29. A wirerod is bent to make a lower slightly curved intermediate portion 38,with vertical sections 3| extending one from each end thereof for adistance, and then bent horizontally at right angles to make terminalsections 32 which pass through the sleeves 29. This structure isadjustable back and forth in the sleeves and may be releasably locked inany position to which adjusted. A leaf spring 33, having a headed screw3 passing therethrough, has openings slightly elongated through whichthe terminal sections 32 pass. The screw passes through the lower endportion of the plate 22 and threads into the bar 5 (Fig. 3). Byoperating the screw the spring 33 may be sprung outwardly at its ends soas to engage against and hold the sections 32 locked in any desiredposition.

An elongated bar 35 of thin metal is located along one side of the bar lopposite the side where the plate 22 is secured. For purposes ofdescription such side of the bar I will be termed the front side of thebar, the plate 22 being secured at the rear side. The thin metal bar 35at its lower portion is widened and has a rectangular opening cut fromthe widened portion to provide spaced apart downwardly extending sides36 which are bent inwardly, first to lie along side the lower endportion of bar 5, and then at a lower point, bent still farther inwardlyto bring the cross connecting piece 37, at the lower ends of the sides36, against the front side of the widened part 23 of the plate 22. Saidwidened portion 23 of plate 22 extends a short distance below the lowerend of the bar i (Fig, 15). At the under edge of the cross connectingmember 3'! a pointed dog 38 is provided, best shown in Figs. 3 and 15.Ears 39 are extended outwardly at opposite sides of and near the lowerend of said sides 36 and bent around back of the widened section 23(Fig. 1), thereby holding the lower part of the bar 35 in place butpermitting it a limited vertical sliding movement.

The upper end of the bar 35 has a rearwardiy turned lip 4E3 (Figs. 2 and9) which lies directly under the disk 4 and is engaged periodically bythe cam l to move the bar 35 in a downward direction. A short distancebelow the rearwardly turned lip 40 a tongue 4! is struck from the barrearwardly and at right angles to the bar. Also integrally therewith awider head portion 42 is struck which is turned downwardly at rightangles from the tongue 4| (Fig. 9). The material out from the bar 35 tomake the tongue 4! and its terminal head 42 leaves a T-shaped opening 33in bar 35 (Fig. 4).

A vertical elongated slot 44 is cut lengthwise of the bar l and hashorizontal branches 45 a short distance below its upper end permittingthe passage of the head 42 therethrough and then an upward movement ofthe bar 35, the tongue 46 being slightly narrower than the slot 44. Alight coiled compression spring 46 is housed in slot 44 between thesides thereof, bearing at its upper end on the tongue 45 and at itslower end against the lower end of the slot. As shown in Fig. 1, theplate 22 covers a considerable portion of the lower end of slot 44thereby retaining the spring in place while the head 32 holds the lowerend of spring 46 in place.

Ope1*a t2'0n.With a selected needle installed and with the shank 50thereof connected with the disc 4, and the needle guided through thearms ll of the guide member, yarn 4'! is threaded through the needleback of the plate 8a and out below the lower edge of said plate. Thepart SI of the spacing gauge mechanism and the lower edge of the part 23are brought against the fabric 33 through which the yarn is fed andlooped. Turning the crank 6 causes a reciprocation of the needle witheach rotation of the disc 4 and also reciprocation of the bar 35 witheach of said rotations. Assuming the parts to be in the position shownin Fig. 3 at the start of operations, the cam l is bearing upon the lipd0 at the upper end of bar 35, forcing the pointed dog 38 into thefabric 48. With a continuation of rotation to the position shown in Fig.4, the bar 35 has been released and lifted by the spring 46 to disengagethe dog and the needle moved downwardly, piercing the fabric andcarrying the yarn therethrough until the needle reaches its lowermostposition diametrically opposite the position shown in Fig. 3. Thereafterwith a continuance of rotation of disc 4, the needle is Withdrawn fromthe fabric and the yarn formed into a loop, a series of which are shownat 49, one of which is made with each rotation of the disc 4. The loopsare on the reverse side of the fabric and are connected by stitches 59on the opposite side of the fabric.

The design of the machine is such that as the needle in its upwardmovement leaves the fabric, cam comes against the lip 45 on bar 35 andforces the dog 38 into the fabric. The needle movement is not a straightup and down movement but is a combination of a reciprocating movementwith a swing from one side to the other such that the point of theneedle takes a path substantially like that indicated in broken lines atA in Fig. 3. The path of the needle after it has left the fabric and ismoving over to reengage the fabric is shown in Fig. 5, as moving fromthe point B, where it leaves the fabric, to the point C where it againenters the fabric. This is the result of the swinging movement of thelower end of the needle which pivots about the axis of the shank 29. Atthe same time, the dog 38 having engaged the fabric, the device as awhole is held against movement with respect to the fabric, whereby theneedle moves over the fabric from the point of leaving the same at B tothe next entrance point at C. (As in Fig. 5).

It, is evident that by moving the .shank 20 of the guide to differentopenings 25 the length of the feed may be increased or diminished and inthis way the distance between loops varied and regulated.

It is further evident that by connecting the upper end of the needle atdifferent openings H in the disc 4 the stroke of the needle may bevaried as well as the distance that the point of theneedle will swingafterit has left the fabric and before it again pierces the same. Thethreaded connection of the rod 9 with the needle permits adjustment ofthe length of the needle. The'gauge for spacing the rows of stitches andloops from each other, consisting of the wire member, having sections3|, 32 and 33, is positioned so as to ride alongside a row of stitchesand thereby uniformly space the needle entrance through the'fabric fromthe preceding rows of stitches.

It will be noted that the position of the needle with respect to theremaining parts of the machine, when the needle is connected in operableposition, presents the Open lower end portion of the needle and the openside of the needle above the plate 8a in a plane substantially parallelwith the plane of the width of the supporting bar I. That is, when theyarn is entered into the needle above the plate 8a and goes therefromthrough the opening at the lower end of the plate 8a, the plane of suchopeningis in substantially the same vertical plane as the row ofstitches or loops produced.

Such a positioning of the needle permits operating the crank 6 in eitherdirection which permits change of direction of the device as a whole,and also permits complete reversal of direction of movement of themachine over the fabric material 48 without changing the needle or inany way adjusting or changing the mecha nism. This is a very desirableand novel feature of the invention and one which has proven particularlypractical.

The construction described, while of a relatively simple character, isvery easily operated and particularly practical. The wide range ofadjustment and the ability to use different sizes of needles allow theuse of one machine in making so-called hooked rugs from a wide varietyof materials and with spacing of the rows of loops or stitches anddistance of projection of the loops also widely variable; The largerneedles have the shorter closing plates 8a near their pointed ends tocut down the friction of the passage of the yarn or other materialthrough the needles which would be excessive in the larger needles usingthe larger yarns or other materials, if the lengths of plates 8a for thelarger needles were similar to that shown in Figs. 3 and 4 which areneedles of the smaller size and through which smaller sizes of yarn orother material 41 pass. This necessitates the two constructions ofguides described. However there is no difference whatsoever inperformance or principle of operation.

The invention is defined in the appended claims and is to be consideredcomprehensive of all forms of structure coming within their scope.

I claim:

1. In a machine of the class described, a supporting bar, a needlemounted thereon for reciprocating and rocking movements, means foroperating said needle to reciprocate and simultaneously rock the same, asecond bar slidably mounted on the first bar and having a dog at itslower end, means for moving said second bar to project the dogdownwardly at the time the needle is at its uppermost position, and agauge adjustably mounted adjacent the lower end of said bar andadjustable toward and away therefroml, paid gauge having a portion toengage with a row'of stitches or tufts previously produced.

2. In a device of the class described, a supporting bar, a disk having acam at one side rotatably mounted on said bar, means to rotate the disk,a needle connected at one end with the disk, 2. guide through which theneedle passes mounted for rocking movement on said bar, a second barmounted on and located against the first bar and having its upper endlocated to be engaged by the cam on said disk, said second bar at itslower end having a pointed dog, and yielding means normally elevatingthe second bar to bear against the edge of said disk.

3. A construction containing the elements in combination defined inclaim 2, including means carried by said disk, and said disk having apinrality of openings, for the adjustable mounting and locking of theupper end of the needle to said disk, said bar adjacent itslower endhaving a plurality of openings in any one of which the needle guide maybe mounted for rocking movement, and a releasable locking means mountedon the bar for securing the needle guide in place.

4. In a machine of the class described, wherein a supporting bar has aneedle mounted for reciprocating and rocking movements thereon com binedwith a means for operating the needle, of a guide carried on and a shortdistance above the lower end of said supporting bar, a spacing gaugeformed of a single length of wire having a substantially horizontallower portion, a vertical section turned upwardly from one end thereof,and a horizontal section turned from the upper end of said verticalsection passing through said guide, and means for releasably engagingsaid horizontal section for holding the gauge in any position to whichadjusted.

5. In a construction of the class described, a supporting bar having anoffset portion between its ends and near its upper end, a handle at theupper end 'of the bar, a shaft mounted on the bar extending through saidoffset portion, a circular disk having a cam projection at one sidesecured to said shaft, a needle comprising a lower yarn carrying memberand an upper shank, means for detachably connecting said shank to thedisk, and a needle guide mounted for rocking movements adjacent thelower end of the bar, said guide engaging the needle and holding it in aplane substantially parallel to that of the bar but permittingrecip-rocatory movements of said needle as specified.

6. A construction containing the elements in combination defined inclaim 5, said needle guide comprising a member embracing the sides ofthe needle and extending around the same and having inturned lipsengaging the edges of the needle, and a shank projecting from saidmember, said shank passing through an opening in the bar in which it mayhave rocking movements, and a slidable lock mounted on the bar todetachably engage the end of the shank and hold the same in positionwhile permitting rocking movement.

7. A needle for use in the machine of the class described, comprising asheet metal concavo-convex member having an open side and a pointedlower end, a plate closing the open side of the needle from a shortdistance above the lower pointed end thereof upwardly for a distance,said sheet metal member at its upper end having an interiorly threadedtube, and a shank threaded into the upper end of the tube having theupper end terminal portion turned substantially at right angles.

8. In a machine of the class described having a vertical supporting bar,a needle mounted thereon and means to operate the needle, of two spacedsleeves mounted on and a short distance above the lower end of the bar,said sleeves being in a horizontal plane, a gauge member formed from asingle length of material having an intermediate horizontal section, twospaced vertical sections extending from the ends of the horizontalsection and terminal horizontal sections extending from the upper end ofthe vertical sections and passing through said sleeves, a leaf springhaving slightly elongated horizontal openings therein through which saidhorizontal sections of the gauge member pass, and a screw passingthrough said leaf spring between its ends and threaded into the bar forthe purpose described.

9. In a machine of the class described, a supporting bar, a needle guideadjustably mounted thereon toward the lower end of said supporting barand adapted to be adjusted to a plurality of diiferent positions atdifferent distances above the lower end of the bar and releasably lockedin any selected position, a needle slidably passing through said guide,manually operable means carried on said bar with which the upper end ofthe needle is connected for reciprocating the needle through said guideand rocking the same back and forth about the axis of the guide, asecond bar slidably mounted on and lengthwise of the first bar having apointed dog at its lower end, spring means normally lifting said secondbar to raise said dog above the lower end of the supporting bar, andmeans operated by the aforementioned manually operable means for movingsaid second bar downwardly to bring the dog below the lower end of thefirst bar and at a time when the needle is elevated to its upperposition.

10. In a machine of the class described, a supporting bar, a needlemounted thereon for reciprocating and rocking movements, means foroperating said needle to reciprocate and simultaneously rock the same, asecond bar slidably mounted directly on the first bar and having a dogat its lower end, said second bar being independently movable withrespect to the needle, and means for moving said second bar at adifferent rate of speed than that of the needle.

11. An apparatus for working upon a fabric comprising, a supportingmember, a needle having an opening at its outer side and at its lowerend through which yarn or like material passes, means for mounting theneedle upon the supporting member whereby its point may move in acontinuous closed path, means for moving the point of the needle in saidpath, means attached to the supporting member and contacting the fabricwhereby the point of the needle is free from the said fabric during apredetermined portion of its travel, holding means spaced from the pointof the needle adapted to engage the fabric to prevent movement of thesupporting member and operating means adapted to operate the holdingmeans during the time when the point of the needle is free from the saidfabric, said operating means maintaining the holding means in apredetermined maximum degree of engagement whereby the device can beslightly tilted to withdraw the said holding means.

12. In a machine of the class described, a supporting bar, a needlemounted thereon for reciprocating and rocking movements, means foroperating said needle to reciprocate and simultaneously rock the same, asecond bar slidably mounted on the first bar and having a dog at itslower end, and cam means for moving said second bar at a different rateof speed than that of the needle.

FOSTER K. SOLLIDAY.

